Effective interventions for reading problems
What Help Is There for Dyslexia?
Help for Kids and Teens (and Adults!) in Dublin with Dyslexia
Dyslexia is more than a reading problem - it affects many aspects of life
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On average, more than 1 in every 10 people has dyslexia, with most unaware/undiagnosed. That's more than 2 people in every average size classroom and/or workplace.
It's been described as a learning disability or sometimes as 'Specific Language Disability' or a 'Specific Learning Difficulty'. You might even have heard it called 'auditory discrimination problems', 'orthographic deficit', 'dysphonetic deficit', 'dyseidetic' or 'word retrieval deficit' or a neurodevelopmental, genetic condition.
Regardless of the name used at different times and for different reasons, it's an attempt to describe how neurocognitive information processes differently than it would in a neurotypical brain. These distinct and measurable differences primarily cause issues with learning processes. For one person, it may manifest as difficulty with accurate and fluent reading. For another person, it may present as a stronger issue in the areas of spelling and writing.
The main definitional differences lie between whether we focus strictly on phonological deficits (sound processing) versus whether we take a broader view to include cognitive, visual, and memory processing speed issues.
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We think it's important to pay attention to the cognitive differences and the research shows us that static learning strategies such as memorization and rote learning are not likely to be as effective for people with dyslexia. In fact, a number of researchers have demonstrated that individuals with dyslexia display reduced plasticity in their normal brain activity and even MRI scans reveal a decrease in neural adaptation (especially with repetition methods).
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So what's the good news? Brains can be effectively strengthened at any age. Children and adults with dyslexia can thrive with the right kind of targeted cognitive interventions.
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That's why our method of approaching dyslexia is different and so effective at helping.​
While auditory processing is the most common root cause of dyslexia, it isn’t the only cause of reading difficulties. For example, reading difficulties may be tied to other cognitive skills, like visual processing. Our brain training plans are tailored to each person’s individual needs. For adults with reading struggles, we focus on the root cause of these difficulties.
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Research Shows Us The Way...
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There are often several different cognitive skills that are often problematic/weak in those with Dyslexia diagnoses (and even those with the symptoms who haven't been diagnosed!). The most common cognitive skill weaknesses we see in Dyslexia students are attention issues, memory challenges, processing speed issues, and visual processing speed delays. It's our experience that Dyslexia students usually possess perfect hearing test results, but they may struggle to navigate auditory processing challenges. We help with this where necessary as well. Want to read more? Check out our latest blog post on dyslexia here. ​​​
How does it work? Three Steps. That's All It Takes. Our expert team guides every student (and their parents/partners!) through a three-step process: Assessment, engagement about the Results, and then Training for Strength. Each step is entirely personalized and crafted to the student's specific learning needs as identified by our world-class assessment. This process allows us cater to individual cognitive skill combinations that are unique to each individual. The outcomes our students enjoy as a result of completing our brain training programs include: increased processing speed, memory, attention, and all aspects of the cognitive learning process -- benefits that group work and private tuition can never meaningfully offer. Most students also get the secondary advantage of a measurable increase in reading proficiency!
We Do Things Differently At Thinkable!
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Step One
Assessment is key. We evaluate every student's auditory, visual, memory, attention, language, & critical thinking skills. The cognitive skills results will outline their core strengths and areas for improvement (qualitatively & quantitatively), often validating concerns in specific & measurable ways.
Step Two
Programs are personalized. What you need -- nothing less, nothing more. Once skill differences are identified, we customize the brain training program that can target learning challenges. Interactive sessions keep students motivated and engaged, slowly building confidence in their new abilities.
Step Three
Train the brain! Repetition and intensity are the key to achieving a neuroplastic effect from brain training. Our trainers work with a singular focus of creating lasting outcomes by using the best neurocognitive methods available in our programs. Our activities are fun, engaging, and challenging.
No Two Brains Are The Same!
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Because no two brains are the same (not even in identical twins!), no two programs will be either!
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Thinkable specializes in creating bespoke programs that address this reality, but even moreso for students with Dyslexia challenges. Our brain training focuses on using evidence-based interventions associated with attention and focus issues before we even approach phonological issues. This method is backed by years of robust neurocognitive research. One of our favorite program offerings, ReadRx, has become quite popular among private academy IB/Leaving Cert students and tech professionals in Dublin.
Thinkable is the only provider of ReadRx in Ireland - there are no direct comparisons to it anywhere on the island! Parents and teachers that may be familiar with Orton-Gillingham methods, which are foundational, teacher-led, and take a multisensory approach to teaching reading and spelling, may be happy to learn that ReadRx combines these structured literacy principles with simultaneous cognitive skills training for better outcomes than either intervention alone can provide. The result is a confident and capable reader!
Thinkable also offers several auxiliary brain training programs to assist with other cognitive challenges that are commonly associated with dyslexia. Whether it's attention or memory, logic or auditory processing issues, we have a program to help.
Attention Help!
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You might be wondering why we offer Dyslexia students brain training instead of private tuition, curriculum revision, or reading grinds. Your student might have already tried both and still struggles. We get it. That's why we recommend brain training as the foundation before we even approach reading.
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By strengthening attention skills, it becomes easier to stay focused, avoid distractions, and juggle different tasks.
We help students:
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Focus on specific tasks for longer periods
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Block out distractions when concentrating
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Perform multiple tasks at the same time​
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In addition to working on concentration skills, our unique approach allows us to also target related skills like memory, visualization, and the various cognitive processing abilities. Students rapidly build mental connections and strengthen attention skills when we do this - and this is the cognitive foundation upon which we code language and successful reading.
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​Our cognitive brain training programs have helped thousands of children and teens (and adults!) practice their focus and concentration skills. Every year that Thinkable has been in operation, we have exceeded the average percentile gains expected for each student. What does that mean? The average is to improve attention skills by 3.2 years. Our students surpass that.
Primary & Secondary Benefits of Brain Training
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Reading gains may be the primary benefit you are looking to achieve with a brain training program for Dyslexia students, but there are a myriad of secondary benefits -- from increases in IQ (Thinkable exceeds the average IQ increases!), to significant improvements in attention, focus, memory, emotional regulation, and impulse control.
None of these may seem secondary for the students (or parents) currently navigating these struggles, but they are just a few of the additional perks you are likely to experience from completing one of our brain training programs. We mask challenging with fun, repetition with play, and we keep students engaged with interesting tasks that they look forward to in their sessions. Don't get us wrong -- our programs are hard work and our students earn every single success that they achieve. We celebrate those successes with them every step of the way. Of course individual results may vary. We’d love the opportunity to work with you and your student to see what successes lie ahead.
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We can help. We mean it.
